Jerusalem’s Godlessness

1 “aRoam° to and fro° through the streets° of Jerusalem°, And look° now° and take° note°. And seek° in her open° squares°, If° you can bfind° a man°,cIf° there° is one who does° justice°, who seeks°Itruth°, Then I will pardon° her.
2 “And aalthough° they say°, ‘As the LORD° lives°,’ Surely° they swear° falsely°.”
3 O LORD°, do not aYour eyes° [look] for Itruth°? You have bsmitten° them, [But] they did not IIweaken°; You have consumed° them, But they crefused° to take° correction°. They have dmade° their faces° harder° than° rock°; They have refused° to repent°.

4 ¶ Then I said°, “They are only° the poor°, They are foolish°; For they ado not know° the way° of the LORD° [Or] the ordinance° of their God°.
5 “I will go° to the great° And will speak° to them, For athey know° the way° of the LORD° [And] the ordinance° of their God°.” But they too, with one° accord°, have bbroken° the yoke° [And] burst° the bonds°.
6 Therefore°°aa lion° from the forest° will slay° them, A bwolf° of the deserts° will destroy° them, A cleopard° is watching° their cities°. Everyone° who goes° out of them will be torn° in pieces°, Because° their dtransgressions° are many°, Their apostasies° are numerous°.

7 ¶ “Why° should I pardon° you? Your sons° have forsaken° Me And asworn° by those who are bnot gods°. When I had fed° them to the full°, They ccommitted° adultery° And trooped° to the harlot’s° house°.
8 “They were well-fed° lusty° horses°, Each° one° neighing° after° his aneighbor’s° wife°.
9 “Shall I not punish°Ithese° [people],” declares° the LORD°, “And on a nation° such° as this°aShall I not avenge° Myself°?

10 ¶ “Go° up through her vine° rows° and destroy°, But do not execute° a complete° destruction°; Strip° away° her branches°, For they are not the LORD’S°.
11 “For the ahouse° of Israel° and the house° of Judah° Have dealt° very° treacherously° with Me,” declares° the LORD°.
12 They have alied° about the LORD° And said°, “IbNot He; Misfortune° will cnot come° on us, And we dwill not see° sword° or famine°.
13 “The aprophets° are [as] wind°, And the word° is not in them. Thus° it will be done° to them!”

Judgment Proclaimed

14 ¶ Therefore°, thus° says° the LORD°, the God° of hosts°, “Because° you have spoken° this° word°, Behold°, I am amaking° My words° in your mouth° fire° And this° people° wood°, and it will consume° them.
15 “Behold°, I am abringing° a nation° against° you from afar°, O house° of Israel°,” declares° the LORD°. “It is an enduring° nation°, It is an ancient° nation°, A nation° whose blanguage° you do not know°, Nor° can you understand° what° they say°.
16 “Their aquiver° is like an bopen° grave°, All° of them are mighty° men°.
17 “They will adevour° your harvest° and your food°; They will devour° your sons° and your daughters°; They will devour° your flocks° and your herds°; They will devour° your bvines° and your fig° trees°; They will demolish° with the sword° your cfortified° cities° in which° you trust°.

18 ¶ “Yet even° in those° days°,” declares° the LORD°, “I will not make° you a complete° destruction°.
19 It shall come° about awhen°Ithey say°, ‘Why°° has the LORD° our God° done° all° these° things° to us?’ then you shall say° to them, ‘As you have forsaken° Me and served° foreign° gods° in your land°, so° you will bserve° strangers° in a land° that is not yours.’

20 ¶ “Declare° this° in the house° of Jacob° And proclaim° it in Judah°, saying°,
21 ‘Now° hear° this°, O foolish° and Isenseless°° people°, Who have aeyes° but do not see°; Who have ears° but do not hear°.
22 ‘Do you not afear° Me?’ declares° the LORD°. ‘Do you not tremble° in My presence°? For I have bplaced° the sand° as a boundary° for the sea°, An eternal° decree°, so it cannot° cross° over° it. Though the waves° toss°, yet they cannot° prevail°; Though they roar°, yet they cannot° cross° over° it.
23 ‘But this° people° has° a astubborn° and rebellious° heart°; They have turned° aside° and departed°.
24 ‘They do not say° in their heart°, “Let us now° fear° the LORD° our God°, Who agives° rain° in its season°, Both bthe autumn° rain° and the spring° rain°, Who keeps° for us The cappointed° weeks° of the harvest°.”
25 ‘Your ainiquities° have turned° these° away°, And your sins° have withheld° good° from you.
26 ‘For wicked° men° are found° among My people°, They awatch° like fowlers°Ilying° in wait°; They set° a trap°, They catch° men°.
27 ‘Like a cage° full° of birds°, So° their houses° are full° of adeceit°; Therefore°° they have become° great° and rich°.
28 ‘They are afat°, they are sleek°, They also°Iexcel° in deeds° of wickedness°; They do not plead° the cause°, The cause° of the IIborphan°, that they may prosper°; And they do not IIIdefend° the rights° of the poor°.
29 ‘aShall I not punish°Ithese° [people]?’ declares° the LORD°, ‘On a nation° such° as this° Shall I not avenge° Myself°?’

30 ¶ “An appalling° and ahorrible° thing° Has happened° in the land°:
31 The aprophets° prophesy° falsely°, And the priests° rule°Ion their [own] authority°; And My people°blove° it so°! But what° will you do° at the end° of it?

The judgments of God upon the Jews, for their perverseness,

1 ¶ Run ye to and froºª through the streetsº of Jerusalem,º and seeºª now,² and know,ºª and seekºª in the broad placesº thereof, if² ye can findºª a man,º if² there beº [any] that executethºª judgment,º that seekethºª the truth;º and I will pardonºª it. 2 And though² they say,ºª The LORDº liveth;º surely² they swearºª falsely.º3 O LORD,º [are] not² thine eyesº upon the truth?º thou hast strickenºª them, but they have not² grieved;ºª thou hast consumedºª them, [but] they have refusedºª to receiveºª correction:º they have made their facesº harderºª than a rock;º² they have refusedºª to return.ºª4 Therefore I² said,ºª Surely² these² [are] poor;º they are foolish:ºª for² they knowºª not² the wayº of the LORD,º [nor] the judgmentº of their God.º5 I will get¹ª² me unto² the great men,º and will speak¹ª unto² them; for² they² have knownºª the wayº of the LORD,º [and] the judgmentº of their God:º but² these² have altogetherº brokenºª the yoke,º [and] burstºª the bonds.º6 Wherefore²² a lionº out of the forestº² shall slayºª them, [and] a wolfº of the eveningsº shall spoilºª them, a leopardº shall watchºª over² their cities:º every one² that goeth outºª thence²² shall¹ be torn in pieces:ºª because² their transgressionsº are many,ºª [and] their backslidingsº are increased.ºª

for their adultery,

7 ¶ Howº shall I pardonºª thee for this?º thy childrenº have forsakenºª me, and swornºª by [them that are] noº gods:º when I had fed them to the full,¹ª²² they then committed adultery,ºª and assembled themselves² by troops¹ª in the harlots'ºª houses.º8 They were² [as] fedºª horsesº in the morning:ºª every oneº neighedºª after² his neighbour'sº wife.º9 Shall I not² visitºª for² these² [things]? saithºª the LORD:º and² shall not² my soulº be avengedºª on such² a nationº as this?²

for their contempt of God,

19 ¶ And it shall come to pass,² when² ye shall say,ºª Whereforeºº doethºª the LORDº our Godº² all² these² [things] unto us? then shalt thou answerºª² them, Like² as ye have forsakenºª me, and servedºª strangeº godsº in your land,º so² shall ye serveºª strangersºª in a landº [that is] not² yours. 20 Declareºª this² in the houseº of Jacob,º and publishºª it in Judah,º saying,ºª21 Hearºª now² this,² O foolishº people,º and without² understanding;º which have eyes,º and seeºª not;² which have ears,º and hearºª not:²22 Fearºª ye not² me? saithºª the LORD:º will ye not² trembleºª at my presence,º² which² have placedºª the sandº [for] the boundº of the seaº by a perpetualº decree,º that it cannot² passºª it: and though the wavesº thereof toss¹ª themselves,² yet can they not² prevail;ºª though they roar,ºª yet can they not² pass overºª it? 23 But this² peopleº hath² a revoltingºª and a rebelliousºª heart;º they are revoltedºª and gone.¹ª²24 Neither² sayºª they in their heart,º Let us now² fearºª² the LORDº our God,º that givethºª rain,º both the formerº and the latter,º in his season:º he reservethºª unto us the appointedº weeksº of the harvest.º

and for their great corruption in the civil state,

25 ¶ Your iniquitiesº have turned awayºª these² [things], and your sinsº have withholdenºª goodº [things] from² you. 26 For² among my peopleº are foundºª wickedº [men]: they lay wait,ºª as he that settethºª snares;º they setºª a trap,º they catchºª men.¹²27 As a cageº is fullº of birds,º so² [are] their housesº fullº of deceit:º therefore²² they are become great,ºª and waxen rich.ºª28 They are waxen fat,ºª they shine:ºª yea,² they overpassºª the deedsº of the wicked:º they judgeºª not² the cause,º the cause² of the fatherless,º yet they prosper;ºª and the rightº of the needyº do they not² judge.ºª29 Shall I not² visitºª for² these² [things]? saithºª the LORD:º shall not² my soulº be avengedºª on such² a nationº as this?²

and ecclesiastical.

30 ¶ A wonderfulº and horrible thingº is committedºª in the land;º31 The prophetsº prophesyºª falsely,º and the priestsº bear ruleºª by² their means;º and my peopleº loveºª [to have it] so:² and what² will ye doºª in the endº thereof?